Uni Hi Wooden Pencil Art Set - 10B to 10H - Box of 22 (HUAS)

I spent a couple years experimenting before I found a setup that was perfect for me. I use Staedtler 2mm mechanical pencils (925-25 series) with the full range of Staedtler 2mm leads (and vintage F and EB leads). These leads are known to be very smooth. Given the amount of time and money I've invested in my Staedtlers, I wanted to provide this as a disclaimer for any potential bias.Smoothness, feel, and tonal range:I purchased this set after hearing that they are the best. The most appealing rave was that they offer a wider and more usable range of tones due to being so smooth. I find this to not be completely true. While every pencil in this set, from 10B to 10H, is usable, I think this is because they are "calibrated" differently. Most brands center their range of tonal values around HB or H. This is where you start to notice the difference in texture and begin feeling the clay. For these Hi-Unis, the dark tones grade very gradually and the "inflection" point begins around 4H. In other words, a Hi-Uni 4H is roughly equivalent to a Staedtler H. This is typical of Japanese brands, which are generally darker, grade for grade, than other brands. This quality would be fine; however, 4H is also where these pencils start to get scratchy. So even though a Hi-Uni 4H is smoother than a Staedtler 4H, I can achieve the same tone with a Staedtler H, which is slightly smoother than either. This isn't a completely bad thing (see below), but it took me by surprise, considering these pencils are known for their smoothness. From 4H up, the gradation is more steep. At the highest end of the scale, a Hi-Uni 10H is about equivalent to a Staedtler 6H. This is about right--I wouldn't want to go any higher than either because the scratchiness would make the pencil unusable. For the dark tones, though, they are just as smooth or smoother than an equivalent Staedtler and Faber-Castell 9000s. Overall, these pencils don't offer much more tonal values than other brands, if at all. In fact, Staedtler's old 8B and 7B pencils and their new Lumograph Black series allow you to go far blacker.Shading and line quality:That said, these pencils are still great. All grades lay the graphite beautifully and I feel in total control. Even the lighter tones, while not always as smooth as I was led to believe, lay very uniformly. There is also less coarseness or "toothiness" when compared to equivalent Staedtler or Faber-Castell 9000 tones on smooth Bristol board. This is probably a positive flip-side of being "scratchy" as I described above; for example, the extra hardness of a 4H allows the pencil to fill in the tooth of the paper more than a Staedtler H while achieving a similar tone. So there you go--as with any high-quality brand, the manufacturer makes trade-offs. There are, of course, no hard bits in the lead during my short amount time of playing with them.Overall, these are not the ultimate, be-all and end-all pencil, but they are still excellent and deserving of five stars. They're more than adequate for my needs, but won't be replacing my current setup, which I think is more convenient (and fancy). I'm sure I will find enjoyment in using these Hi-Unis for certain applications or when I'm in the mood for using wooden pencils. I realize that there are qualities beyond smoothness and tonal values that make a pencil suitable for drawing (e.g. erasability, smearing, etc.), but since these are the most commonly discussed for this brand, I thought I'd investigate them and give my take. I hope to spend more time with these pencils and give an update.Other observations:-The presentation is beautiful. The tin is attractive. The lacquer on the wood is solid and well-applied. I did not want to sharpen them! (When I finally took the plunge, sharpening all 22 at once made my hand cramp up.)-The graphite cores are very well centered. The wood is high-quality--you can go from unsharpened to sharpened and have one single piece of shaving! Very fun to sharpen. They also smell great.

I was never faithful to just one pencil brand; the Hi-Uni's changed that. These pencils are incredible. They draw super smooth, keep a sharp point, are easy to sharpen, the lead is strong, the lead sits dead center in the wood casing, the lacquer is perfect, each grade is marked on all sides of the pencil; I can go on! The case itself is pretty useful. I enjoy the intuitive way you open the case, and the pencils stay in place while closed.The large variety of grades is a real treat as well. I never thought I could achieve more depth in my shadows by using the harder leads. I start all my drawings with a 4H, then interchange use of softer & harder leads to achieve the effects I desire. The graphite lifts off the paper with just a bit of erasing, hardly leaving anything on the surface. I'd say the 10B grade is as dark as a Derwent 8B, Caran D' Ache 9B, and perhaps the Prismacolor Ebony. If you are going for super dark as in black, I recommend Staedler's Mars Lumograph Black. In regards to smoothness, Prismacolor's Ebony and the Faber-Castell 9000s are comparable. The hard leads draw super smooth, which surprised me! Compared to other brands however, these leads do run a bit darker. If you want a very light touch, use the 4H or above, you won't go wrong.Overall, the workability of the Hi-Unis is fantastic. I have a lot of fun using them. The only other pencils I consider to be as good are the Faber-Castell 9000s. I recommend them both! For the best experience with both brands, buy a high quality sharpener, use a plastic eraser, and use a paper with minimal tooth; in my opinion of course!

This is the widest shade range in drawing pencils that I am aware of and it's pretty impressive. I've never used such hard, delicate shades of graphite before, usually I'm trying to find the darkest darks (which is why I bought this set in the first place. VERY dark, delicious 10B), and they're really lovely. They have a very pleasant, extra smooth texture.I was afraid they weren't gonna be worth it, I had only wanted the darker shades but couldn't find them available in any other way than this set. It was not a waste! I love the new possibilities with these ultra light, delicate graphites. These are the nicest graphite pencils I've used, period. I still love my Cretacolor pencils, but these Hi-Unis are in first place.